Date
November 21, 2006
Contact
Judy Jones
(408) 286-5204
Kristie Phelps
(757) 423-0093
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd
San Rafael
CA 94901
IDA is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats.
In Defense of Animals Pays Tribute to Turkeys
Animal Advocates Hold Candlelight Vigil on Eve of Thanksgiving to Mourn Millions of Animals Killed for Holiday
San Jose, Calif.—More than 300 million turkeys are slaughtered every year in the U.S., 45 million for Thanksgiving alone. As millions of Americans prepare to give thanks for their own health and happiness by consuming the carcasses of innocent birds, members of In Defense of Animals (IDA) will hold a candlelight vigil to spread awareness about the plight of turkeys killed in the name of tradition on the eve of Thanksgiving.
What: Candlelight Vigil for Turkeys
When: Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Paseo de Saratoga Shopping Center, Albertsons Market at the south end of the shopping center, .San Jose
Why are animal advocates crying fowl? The majority of the 45 million turkeys killed for Thanksgiving are raised on factory farms, where they are crammed into warehouses with tens of thousands of other birds. In these warehouses, disease, smothering, and heart attacks are common. Turkeys are routinely mutilated by de-beaking and de-clawing all without a drop of anesthesia. They are forced to breathe ammonia-thick air that irritates their eyes and lungs. After the hellish ride to the slaughterhouse, often in weather extremes, the turkeys are strung upside down and their throats are slit.
And the flap about free-range? According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the single condition for the term “free-range” is that birds have access to the outdoors. All other facets of a free-range turkey’s life can be indistinguishable from the living conditions of a conventional-raised bird. Since thousands of free-range turkeys are raised in a single warehouse, and most don’t have the ability to access the small portal to the outdoors, the majority of these “free range” birds will never breathe a breath of fresh air or feel the sunlight on their backs.
“The best thing individuals can do to help animals is to stop eating them,” said Judy Jones, IDA board member and Santa Clara County Animal Advisory Board Commissioner. “This year, make Thanksgiving for the birds and try a healthy, delicious vegetarian meal.”